A Los Angeles County jury found Cardi B not liable for assault and battery on September 2, 2025, in a civil lawsuit over a 2018 encounter outside a Beverly Hills obstetrician’s office. During the trial, Cardi B acknowledged a heated verbal confrontation with former security guard Emani Ellis but testified, “There was no touching.” The jury’s reported finding resolves the claims of assault and battery; it does not establish every disputed detail of the encounter.
What was the lawsuit about?
The case concerned an encounter reported to have taken place on February 24, 2018, outside an obstetrician’s office in Beverly Hills. Cardi B, whose legal name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, said she was visiting the doctor while four months pregnant and wanted to keep the pregnancy private. Ellis was working as a security guard in the building. Ellis filed suit in 2020, alleging assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and false imprisonment. The Associated Press reported on the lawsuit and trial testimony.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
AM I THE DRAMA? | $12.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Invasion of Privacy | $10.20 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Cardi B - Invasion Of Privacy | $28.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Lizzo feat. Cardi B - Rumors - Limited Edition Signed CD Single | $17.70 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
NO. SlX (CoIIaborations PR0JECT) | $30.00 | Buy on Amazon |
This was a civil case, not a criminal prosecution. The verdict report says the jury found Cardi B not liable for assault and battery; it does not provide separate reported findings on each of Ellis’s other pleaded claims. FOX 11 Los Angeles reported the September 2, 2025, verdict.
What did Emani Ellis say happened?
Ellis testified that she saw Cardi B in the building and remarked, “Wow, it’s Cardi B.” According to the AP’s account of her testimony, Ellis said Cardi B accused her of telling people about the visit, insulted and threatened her, spat on her, swung at her and scratched her cheek with a fingernail. Ellis also said she was humiliated and traumatized and that a scar required cosmetic surgery. These are Ellis’s allegations and testimony, not facts established by the reported verdict.
#1 Best Overall
- Format: CD...
- Released: 2025-09-19...
- Genre: Hip-Hop...
- Genre: Hip-Hop...
- Released: 2025-09-19...
What did Cardi B say?
Cardi B said she confronted Ellis because she believed Ellis was recording her during a private medical visit. She acknowledged cursing at Ellis and said they went chest-to-chest, but denied spitting, hitting, scratching or touching her. The AP reported that Cardi B conceded she had not seen proof Ellis was recording.
In court, Cardi B said, “She didn’t hit me. I didn’t hit her. There was no touching,” according to the Los Angeles Times. The AP also quoted her saying, “She couldn’t get a scratch from me because I didn’t touch her.” Those statements describe Cardi B’s testimony and denial; they are not a substitute for the jury’s finding.
Rank #2
What did the receptionist testify?
Receptionist Tierra Malcolm testified that she came into the hallway after hearing a disturbance and saw no physical fight, according to the AP. Malcolm said she later noticed a scratch on her own face and assumed it came from Ellis because she had been facing Ellis with her back to Cardi B. That is Malcolm’s account as reported by the AP, not an independently verified reconstruction of the encounter.
What did the jury decide?
On September 2, 2025, a Los Angeles County jury found Cardi B not liable for assault and battery. The available verdict report does not include a verdict form or explain the jurors’ reasoning. The result should therefore be stated narrowly: the jury found her not liable for those claims, while the competing accounts of what happened remain distinct from that reported finding.
Rank #3
- Cardi B
- Invasion Of Privacy
Was the lawsuit for $24 million?
Cardi B said during testimony that Ellis was suing her for $24 million, and FOX 11 also described the case as a $24 million lawsuit. The AP reported that Ellis sought medical expenses, compensation for emotional and physical suffering, lost wages and punitive damages, but did not specify a total in the lawsuit. Accordingly, $24 million is an amount attributed to Cardi B’s testimony and to FOX 11’s description—not an uncontested figure established by the AP account or a court award.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- VEry Nice Album (CD Album 15 Tracks):
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
